Pain in the Back'
by WFROSE
Summary: Halloween's coming soon, do you all understand what that means? (points to 'Little Pretty Biohazard' for reference...)
1. Default Chapter

A pain in the Back  
  
Ranma blinked, as he stared across at the three girls. The youngest one, Akane of age sixteen, stared back at him with a nervous, yet irritable expression. It was obvious she didn't trust him, and from the incident in the bathroom, Ranma admitted to himself that she may have a reason. The middle girl, Nabiki at age seventeen, seemed to watch him with a curious expression. After having the curse explained to them, Ranma figured that they would more likely be favoring him with distain, particularly this one. Yet, she seemed to observe him with a more than curious, yet guarded attitude. The eldest, the nineteen year old Kasumi, looked back at him with a polite expression that he could easily read as nothing more than being hospitable. She didn't betray any slight hostility or interest towards him; at the latter, Ranma felt somewhat relieved.  
  
They had been told that he was to choose one of them as his fiancée; they all seemed to be taking the news rather well.  
  
With a quick motion, Kasumi leaned towards Akane, ready to push her forward, "Oh, he wants Ak-"  
  
"I'll give it a go, Daddy."  
  
Kasumi and Akane blinked, turning to look at their middle sister. "Nabiki?"  
  
The girl with the chin length hair shrugged, "Well, curse aside, he isn't all that bad, don't you think?"  
  
Akane and Kasumi were about to protest, before noticing the expression on their sister's face. They knew the troubles Nabiki went through, and the barely veiled pleading on the middle girl's face told them that she was close to desperate. "I... I guess if you're interested," Kasumi finally stated, subdued.  
  
Akane was almost quelled, but not quite, "You sure about this, sis? I mean he does turn into a girl! I mean, would you want to be engaged to a frea-er..." Akane realized what she was about to say, and bowed her head, ashamed.  
  
Nabiki didn't miss the slip, and glared at her sister, "Well, us 'freaks' have to stick together, don't we?"  
  
"But you're not a freak, Nabiki," Kasumi responded, giving a chiding expression to the youngest. Kasumi added as an afterthought, "And neither are you, Ranma."  
  
"Gee, thanks" the pigtailed boy drolled, deciding that he most assuredly wasn't interested in the younger or older sister. He had to wonder at Nabiki's attitude, though; why was she so accepting of the engagement?"  
  
Nabiki shrugged, causing the straps that held the cute little costume shark fin on her back to shake a bit, and waving Kasumi's response off, "It's alright, Kasumi, no harm done." The middle Tendou sister stood up, "I don't mind giving this engagement a chance if you're willing, Ranma-kun."  
  
Ranma found it difficult to say no to her. Akane's expression had been open and friendly when she asked if they wanted to be friends, and the pigtailed girl at the time felt a certain sensation of elation at it. Nabiki's expression now had all of that, plus an obvious fear of rejection. "I-if you don't mind... well... being engaged to a 'freak' like me," Ranma said the last part sourly, turning a glance to a further shamefaced Akane.  
  
"Well, it's settled then!" Soun proclaimed, "You'll be Nabiki's fiancé!"  
  
"Um, Tendou," Genma interjected, not having missed the exchange between their children, "Is there something wrong with her?"  
  
"Fear not, Saotome!" Soun quickly countered, "I'm sure our children will get along just fine!"  
  
"That's not what I asked..."  
  
"Well Ranma, I guess we should get to know each other, huh?" Nabiki enquired, looking visibly relieved that the engagement was accepted.  
  
"That... sounds cool." Ranma responded, thrown off kilter by the beaming smile she was favoring him with. He wasn't all that sure about this whole engagement thing; even if the girl actually was interested in him, he had just met her. Maybe if he stalled for a little while, he could get this whole mess sorted out. After he finally found himself a cure for his curse, who knows?

* * *

Ranma approached his newfound fiancée, as she stared out into the backyard, seeming to admire the way the stars and moonlight played upon the fish pond before them, "Ah, hey."  
  
Nabiki jerked, before turning to find the pigtailed boy behind her, "Hey yourself."  
  
"You, uh, wanted to talk about this?" Ranma responded, scratching the back of his head.  
  
Nabiki's expression turned wistful, as she looked back into the yard, "Why don't you take a seat, Ranma."  
  
"Sure." The pigtailed martial artist sat in lotus position next to the girl, studying her profile. She definitely was cute, good figure, if he was any judge. The shark fin she was wearing was definitely unusual, but was cute in its own novel way. He judged she was probably some sort of cos-play fanatic, and decided to hold off any decisions about her until he did know her a little better. That was if he decided to stay for a duration; he still had his damnable curse to consider, after all.  
  
"Ranma," Nabiki started, "I'm not going to tell you that I'm really interested in marrying you, but..." She sighed, almost slumping, "You do seem like a pretty nice guy, no matter what my younger sister wants to believe, and I haven't... well... had a boyfriend... in a while... ever, actually."  
  
Ranma raised his eyebrows, "What? Why not? I mean a pretty girl like you not having a boyfriend. I mean... as pretty as you... er... well I thought you would have dozens of guys lined up, or something. Not that I'm saying you're easy or something, I mean..."  
  
Apparently, Nabiki wasn't paying much attention to his rambling, cutting him off, "I'm... not the best person in the world, Ranma. I kind of had to face that realization a few months ago." Actually, she was facing the other direction, but that was beside the point. Well, actually that was the point...  
  
"Um, you seem nice enough to me." Ranma blushed, looking out into the yard also.  
  
"Thanks, but you don't know much about my history."  
  
Ranma shrugged, "Well, maybe not, but you don't seem too proud about it. I guess that it's kinda like martial arts, you know you sucked at first, but as long as you wanna improve, and try to, what you were before doesn't matter all that much."  
  
Nabiki gave him a wry smirk, "Personalities and fighting form's aren't quite the same thing."  
  
"Sure, but, I mean if I decided that I was fine with how I was, I would stay just at that skill level. I don't see how that's much different from becoming a better person." Ranma smirked, "And you don't seem all that bad at all... at least you're not like that gorilla of a sister of yours, was she really gonna pound me with that stone lantern over there?"  
  
Nabiki chuckled, "She does tend to overreact, but don't let her catch you talking about her like that, she'll probably brain you with the nearest convenient blunt instrument."  
  
Ranma's subtle chuckle held Nabiki's attention, before he spoke again, "I guess I'm glad I got engaged to you instead of her, huh?"  
  
Nabiki looked down, thinking to herself, 'You say that now'

* * *

Nabiki felt a little elation at the thought of her fiancée. In truth, she had no real intention of marrying him, at least at the moment, but it would be nice to get to know a boy, have a boyfriend that wasn't aware of her reputation, and may even accept her particular physical ailment.  
  
Being careful to strip off her clothes and don her specially made nightgown, Nabiki sighed. Who was she kidding? She had yet to tell him of her issues. Even if he said he didn't mind her history, he may think twice when he found out the truth about her. Quite frankly, she understood he got his curse by accident; she deserved hers.  
  
Lying on her stomach, Nabiki's good cheer was completely replaced by a tinge of fear, self consciousness, and drowsiness. She would just have to think more on the subject in the morning.

* * *

Ranma groaned, twisting her nose at the rank scent of unfiltered pond water. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why her father always tended to lead the fight into the nearest body of water. She didn't think the old fool enjoyed being a panda that much, or did he think it was amusing to bear his curse, while watching his supposed son shame himself with his own unmanly curse?  
  
Whatever it was, Ranma couldn't wait to be male again. He really hated his girl form, as weird as it felt to have her chest weigh her down and put an awkward pressure on her spine; changing her balance so dramatically that it actually took a few days to adjust to the new center of gravity.  
  
Ranma continued to grumble to herself, idly noting that there wasn't an occupied sign on the bathroom door, and walking in. "Stupid panda, he thinks it's funny to humiliate me like this? Well I aughta skin the old fool and use his hide for a throw rug. We'll see who has the last laugh then!"  
  
Ranma continued to denounce her father, as she finally stripped her wet clothes, and entered the bathing room main.

* * *

"You really aren't seriously considering this engagement, are you?" Akane demanded, incredulously, "I mean, the guy's a total pervert!"  
  
"Akane," Nabiki sighed, "I don't think he's all that bad. It wasn't as if he intentionally peeped on you."  
  
"Well, I know he got a good look." Akane argued.  
  
"Hey, be careful back there!"  
  
Akane favored her sister an apologetic expression, even if she couldn't see it, "Sorry."  
  
"Try not to lose your temper doing this, that thing is rather sensitive, you know?"  
  
"Alright, alright already," the youngest sister huffed, "It isn't like we haven't done this a hundred times already."  
  
"I wish we didn't have to do it at all," Nabiki sighed.  
  
Akane frowned, and leaned over her sister's shoulder, "Listen, it wasn't your fault. Even if you did have some... poor judgment in the past, what that jerk did went too far!"  
  
"I know he didn't, Akane," Nabiki retorted, "But if I hadn't been like I was, it would never have happened."  
  
Akane stayed quiet for a few moments, working behind Nabiki, "I still don't see why you think you should just settle with that jerk."  
  
"Ranma's not a jerk. He actually... seems interested in me. It's not like I got a line of suitors lined up waiting to fight me tooth and nail for a chance at a date," Nabiki responded with a false humor.  
  
Akane missed her sister's self-directed bitterness, "I still don't trust him."  
  
"Just remember, you walked in on him, alright?"  
  
"Well, it wouldn't have happened if he had put the 'occupied' sign out."  
  
Nabiki blinked, "Speaking of which, did you remember? I know we got out of practice of doing it, but now that we have guests..."  
  
Nabiki froze at the sound of the sliding outside door, while Akane quickly turned to identify the intruder. It was Ranma, staring at both nude girls, primarily at Nabiki's back.  
  
Nabiki didn't speak until she heard the pigtailed martial artist stumble out of the bathroom, obviously in shock, "That was Ranma, wasn't it?" She didn't have to turn to know that Akane was nodding mutely, "And he saw 'it', didn't he?" Akane nodded again. 


	2. part 2

'A Pain in the Back'  
  
"Ranma, if you would just stop for a second..." Nabiki pleaded, chasing down the pigtailed boy as she finished tying the belt to her bathrobe. Ranma continued to stare in shock at the girl with now the noticeable lump covered by the white robe, stumbling backwards and nearly tripping several times.  
  
"Y-y-y-y," was all he could utter, pointing incredulously at Nabiki.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane shouted, rushing out of the bathroom in her own robe, "At least put this on, you jerk! Daddy's going to have a fit if he sees you running around topless!"  
  
Ranma instinctually caught the robe tossed to her, still fearfully retreating from his fiancée. Nabiki was nearly in tears from Ranma's reaction, though she had expected it, "Ranma, I was going to tell you! I just wanted to wait till the right time..."  
  
Ranma tripped onto her butt, before she found her voice, "Tell me? Exactly when would be the right time to tell me that my fiancée HAS A-?!?"  
  
"Well, the way you're overreacting, never!" Akane interrupted; unamused with the way the part-time girl was treating her sister.  
  
Both Nabiki and Ranma stared at the youngest Tendou, not quite in agreement that the situation required less reaction on Ranma's behalf.  
  
"Are... are you a ghost or something?" Ranma finally braved to ask, swallowing a little of her fear, as long as the older girl didn't come closer.  
  
Nabiki sighed, managing to steel her own emotions, "No, Ranma, I'm not dead."  
  
Ranma double blinked, "But... you have a-"  
  
"I KNOW THAT!" Nabiki nearly bellowed, beginning to give into frustration. She immediately calmed down, noticing the pigtailed girl ready to bolt. "I'm sorry, Ranma, I didn't mean to... I mean... I..."  
  
Living or dead, Ranma couldn't contend with the tears of any girl. "Hey, HEY! I'm sorry, that just... ah... kinda startled me, s'all."  
  
"Startled, you were about to wet yourself!"  
  
"Akane, please be quiet," Nabiki quipped. She knelt next to Ranma, finally seeing that the redhead had calmed down, "I understand, Ranma, it's not as if you often find out the girl you had been engaged to just yesterday should by all rights be among her ancestors."  
  
"Um, why aren't you? Dead, I mean?" Ranma enquired, deciding that the other girl wasn't going to latch onto him and drag him to the very hells.  
  
Nabiki sat down next to her, "I guess I got lucky."  
  
"I wouldn't say that," Ranma murmured, looking at the bulge between Nabiki's shoulder blades.  
  
The older girl chuckled, "No, I guess I wasn't."  
  
"What happened?" Ranma finally enquired, as Akane went off to finish her own bath, leaving the two alone.  
  
"Remember when I told you I wasn't exactly the best person?" Nabiki enquired, not looking at the pigtailed girl, "There were things that I did... that I'm not proud of now."  
  
"Ah, yeah, you said something about that last night."  
  
The middle Tendou daughter smiled slightly, though it had no humor in it, "People know me around school. I was the kind of girl that enjoyed having a little extra cash on the side. I made it off of other people, not in the most scrupulous of ways, either."  
  
"What did you do?" Ranma prayed 'prostitution' wasn't the factor.  
  
"You name it, I did it, racketeering, loan sharking, blackmailing... reason why I don't have a boyfriend was because I had a nasty habit of swindling guys out of what they had when we went out on dates, or I blackmailed them with some pretty big secrets they kept."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Nabiki was surprised at the relieved sound in Ranma's voice, but decided to ask about it at a later time, "There was this guy... he did some pretty shady things, but I thought he was pretty harmless. He borrowed money from me, but was a little slow with paying it off. Because of that, I hiked up the interest on him..."  
  
Nabiki bowed her head, recalling her folly, "I should have been more careful after meeting him that night."  
  
"I... guess you didn't know," Ranma tried to console, though neither approving nor condemning Nabiki's actions.  
  
"No, I didn't, but that's not an excuse for everything else." Ranma baulked at the tears in Nabiki's eyes, "I'm a bad person, Ranma. What I've done finally caught up to me, and this..." she pointed over her shoulder to her back, "...gets to serve as a reminder."  
  
"Why don't you just get it removed?"  
  
"Doctors said it wouldn't be an easy thing to do," Nabiki explained, "I was lucky when it went in, I may not be so fortunate if it comes out. It's now separating two chambers of my heart, which would make it difficult to remove without an expensive operation that we just can't afford, even with health insurance."  
  
"Then why don't you, you know, like the Americans do; where some charity sponsors the operation for some poor shmuc-er-person with a fatal defect or something?"  
  
"I'm not exactly a 'feel good story', not with my background," Nabiki admitted, "If word got out of what I used to do, I think people wouldn't be all that enthusiastic about helping me out."  
  
"Well, can't you just have the handle cut off? That has to be uncomfortable!"  
  
"That would cause all new problems. If the blade got lost under my skin, it could do even more damage." Nabiki smirked, "And besides, it doesn't feel bad at all anymore. In fact I can move it around, see?" Nabiki reached around her back, and started jiggling it around."  
  
"STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!" Ranma shouted, rushing backwards in a crabwalk. The redhead blinked, and frowned at her fiancée's chuckles, "Hey, that ain't funny!"  
  
"Well," Nabiki began, standing up and feeling much better, "I have to finish getting ready for school. You might want to hurry too, since you're coming with us, I believe."  
  
"What? School?"

* * *

Ranma eyed the chain fence next to them longingly, preferring the high ground to his current position on the ground, next to Nabiki.  
  
He wasn't going to outright admit it, but he remained completely unnerved by the girl and her predicament. As hard as he tried, he couldn't help but feel his eyes drawn to the costume angel wings she was wearing to cover the issue up. Every time he had leapt up onto the fence, even after stating it was for balance practice, Nabiki would slump a bit. If anything, Ranma didn't think that was a good idea for someone with Nabiki's affliction.  
  
Nabiki could feel Ranma's gaze on her, and wished that it was for more flattering reasons. Nonetheless, the ticklish feeling behind her sternum was from something other than the cold steel lodged under it. "Ranma, I'm sorry if I'm making you nervous."  
  
Ranma almost jumped at being addressed, "Who, me? I ain't nervous!"  
  
Nabiki continued, "I know it can't be easy to deal with this, but if I can get used to the idea of being engaged to a guy who occasionally is a girl, then you can get used to the idea of being with a girl who'll always have to be on top."  
  
"Huh?" Ranma enquired, the innuendo flying right over him, "But I'm not occasionally a girl, I'm 100 percent guy!"  
  
Nabiki looked towards the old woman with a bucket and ladle, to the dripping, unamused redhead, "I stand corrected."  
  
Sighing, Ranma turned around, "I'm going back home to take a bath."  
  
"Sorry, but you just don't have the time," Nabiki interjected, grabbing onto the pigtailed girl's arm.  
  
"You expect me to go to school like this?"  
  
"I know a place you can get some hot water from, although it'll take a few moments."  
  
Ranma sighed, deciding it wasn't worth arguing over, "Fine, just... just hurry."

* * *

"Dr. Tofu? It's me, Nabiki," The middle Tendou sister called out, as she and Ranma strode into the clinic.  
  
"So, who's this guy?" Ranma enquired, looking around; her eyes finding a skeleton replica next to a counter.  
  
"Well, I would be more than happy to introduce myself," A man in his later twenties stated, standing behind Ranma. The pigtailed girl nearly jumped, surprised she hadn't even sensed him approach. "Hello, Nabiki, no problems with your injury, I hope? And those angel wings look rather cute on you."  
  
'Injury', what a novel way of putting it," the redhead thought to herself.  
  
"Hello doctor, do you really think they're cute?" Nabiki asked, twirling and demonstrating her partial costume for the doctor. Tofu smiled, and nodded. "I'm doing fine. I've been keeping the blade clean with hydrogen peroxide like you suggested after bathing."  
  
The good doctor nodded, "And who's your friend here?"  
  
"This is Ranma, my... um..." Nabiki looked over at the pigtailed girl, before looking away, "friend, she's the child of a family friend."  
  
Tofu blinked at the light blush on the middle Tendou daughter, but decided that it wasn't all that important, "Well, it seems like the two of you get along pretty well. So what brings you by? I would think you would be on your way to school by now."  
  
"We were, there was just a little accident," Nabiki commented, "Have you heard of anything about a place called, 'Jusenkyo'?" Ranma stared back at Nabiki, almost feeling a light sense of betrayal. Then again, the young martial artist rationalized that it may be best to get explanations out of the way, in case this became a daily habit.  
  
"Hmm, actually, I have. Some sort of mythical training ground with cursed pools. It's only legend, though, why are you so interested?"  
  
"Believe me, doc, it isn't 'mythical' in the least, unfortunately," the redhead quipped.  
  
"Oh?" Dr. Tofu enquired, sure he was about to receive an explanation. 


	3. part 3

'Pain in the Back'  
  
Ranma was surprised at how well Dr. Tofu had taken his curse, rather used to the constant questioning, half of them particularly perverted, he tended to receive. Of course, he also surmised that with a patient like Nabiki, the unique must be taken in stride.  
  
At the sound of Nabiki's distain, Ranma came out of his thoughts, realizing they were now at the school. He blinked, finding the schoolyard littered with boys in various sports gear, sporting injuries of a recent battle. From the looks of how they were scattered, it was like a small tornado passed through. "What the?"  
  
"Really, every morning they do this, and they still haven't gotten the hint yet," Nabiki chastised, idly stepping around the prone young men.  
  
"What's this all about?" Ranma enquired, checking to see if one guy was at least still breathing.  
  
"Some jerk in my class has the hots for my sister," Nabiki explained, "He made a proclamation that if anyone wished to date Akane, they would have to defeat her in battle. Seeing as how he's the big man on campus, all the guys follow his word."  
  
Ranma's expression twisted slightly, "You mean all these idiots are getting their asses handed to them just for the right to date that uncute tomboy of a sister of yours?"  
  
"She can be sweet on occasion," Nabiki argued, playing the devil's advocate, "You just happened to make a bad impression."  
  
"Well, that goes both ways," Ranma groused. Nabiki merely shrugged, fluttering her wings slightly.  
  
"Let's hurry up and get you registered, we have plenty of time before the bell rings, but I don't want to take chances.

* * *

Ranma sat in his home room class, the same class his fiancée's sister attended. He ignored the curious looks he was getting from the girls, unsure of how to deal with them, and felt slightly put out that none of the guys approached him yet. Putting on an air of indifference, Ranma pretended to pay attention in class.  
  
Ranma hadn't paid much attention to the gossip that was going on around him, unrealizing that his indirect association was more than a little beginning to aggravate the youngest Tendou daughter.  
  
"Hey, Akane?" a girl behind the raven haired girl whispered, "Who's the new guy?"  
  
Akane rolled her eyes, unseen by the student behind her, "How should I know?"  
  
"Well, he did arrive with your sister, after all."  
  
Gritting her teeth, Akane forced a groan down, "Oh, you mean Ranma? He's my sister's fiancé."  
  
"WHAT?!?"  
  
"Ms. Kunerai, if you would please step into the hall for the remainder of the class. Why don't you take a couple of buckets filled with water with you?"  
  
The girl sulked, before getting up from behind Akane, went to fill two buckets with water, and the dragged herself out of the classroom. Ranma watched the girl go by; wondering what had gotten her so riled up. Akane shook her head, and attempted to pay attention to the lesson.  
  
"That guy Ranma's your sister's fiancé?'  
  
Akane almost slammed her head into the desk, "Yes, it's a family promise, alright?"  
  
"But, why Nabiki? You know she'll just use the poor guy, before throwing him out on the wayside."  
  
Akane chocked down a growl. She had been aware of her sister's past activities, but that didn't stop her from defending Nabiki, "Listen, my sister's not interested in doing that anymore. And if it was any of your business, I'll let you know that Nabiki really does seem to like Ranma, and vice versa!"  
  
"I don't think that's possible," the girl quipped, "We all know your sister."  
  
Akane almost made her retort, before she was interrupted. "Ms. Tsuna, I believe Ms. Kunerai may be lonely out there. Perhaps you would like to keep her company."  
  
Ms. Tsuna whimpered at being caught, and made her way to the class exit. "Oh, please, do not forget the buckets; I would also prefer them to be filled with water."  
  
Akane smirked in victory, proud the girl got what was coming to her. The youngest Tendou sister once again started to take notes, before the slight victory was spoiled.  
  
"Akane, you're not really gonna let your sister use that poor guy, are you? He deserves better than that!"  
  
Akane closed her eyes, and counted to ten.

* * *

Nabiki made her way to Ranma's homeroom class for her last fifteen minutes of lunch, and blinked at the line of girls standing outside the door, holding buckets. At her presence, each one turned a glare at the Middle Tendou sister, causing her to shrink back. Her discomfort was brief, as the teacher stuck his head out, and called the girls back in for their lunch break. Following them in, Nabiki made no eye contact with anyone, scanning the room for her pigtailed fiancée. Ranma sat at his desk still, ignoring the rapid questions many of the boys and a few girls were drilling him with. From the expression on Ranma's face, he wasn't doing a very good job in pretending they weren't there.  
  
"Excuse me, would you guys mind if I talked with him a bit?" Nabiki interjected, almost quietly and humble.  
  
Each of the students surrounding Ranma's desk looked up, either giving Nabiki the evil eye, or a fearful expression. There was at one time Nabiki savored the latter, but now...  
  
"Sure, Nabiki, I don't mind," Ranma stated, glad for the intervention.  
  
Nabiki smiled at him, and sat on his desk. For several moments, Nabiki looked around at the students still surrounding them. "If you guys mind, I would like to talk to him in private."  
  
Instead of obeying Nabiki's request, everyone looked expectantly towards Ranma. "Um, can you guys leave us alone for a bit?" the pigtailed boy requested, rather sheepishly.  
  
begrudgingly, the students obeyed, but with a few comments of 'my condolences' and 'she doesn't deserve him' left behind. Ranma gave those who commented withering glares, before turning back to Nabiki, "So, what's up... Nabiki?"  
  
The girl was turned away, staring at some of the retreating students. Ranma couldn't see her expression, but knew from the slight shaking of her costume wings, something was wrong, "Nabiki?"  
  
"Oh.. s-sorry Ranma, was thinking about something," Nabiki quickly commented, wiping her face as if she were wiping sweat, and not the creeping tears.  
  
Ranma knew that her classmates were getting to her, "Hey, let's go ahead and step out for a sec, I've finished my lunch already." Nabiki forced a smile, grateful for the chance to get away from the accusing eyes.

* * *

"Geez, you would think that a girl with a knife in her back would get a little sympathy," Ranma grumbled, heavily unamused with his classmates.  
  
"They don't know, Ranma," Nabiki interjected, "I've been hiding it from them."  
  
"Uh... but why?" Ranma enquired. He figured with Nabiki's ailment that she would have people informed. It would kind of suck if someone accidentally slapped her on the back or something.  
  
"I didn't want their sympathy," Nabiki explained, "I don't deserve it."  
  
"Ah... I guess," Ranma responded, "but wouldn't your classmates figure out something was up?"  
  
Nabiki shook her head, "I'm not in regular classes, I'm in a special needs class. There aren't any other students in it right now." With a sigh, Nabiki continued, "Most people think I wormed my way into it so I wouldn't have to deal with the harassment I get now."  
  
"Harassment?" Ranma had to ask, though some of the comments through out the day had gotten to him. Fortunately, he had the discipline to hold his tongue.  
  
"Yeah," Nabiki chuckled, mirthlessly, "People aren't prone to forgiving and forgetting around here."  
  
"I don't get it; I mean you've been nice all since I've met you," Ranma argued, "Why do they treat you like dirt now?"  
  
"Because people ignore the good things you do, but the bad things seem to be cast in stone... and I have a lot of stone tablets with literature on them."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Ranma responded with genuine solemness. He really didn't believe Nabiki still deserved the comments he had heard, even if he didn't know her back then.  
  
"Thanks Ranma, I don't think I even deserve you. In fact, I know I don't."  
  
Ranma was glad to see Nabiki's smile, genuine in its expression, but was torn by how down upon herself she was, "Hey, it ain't like you're getting a prize with me, here. I'm a girl half of the time. At least your problem is a money issue, I don't even know if there's a cure for me!"  
  
Nabiki chuckled, "But your curse isn't so bad, really. I could imagine worse for you, like turning into a pig or dog or something."  
  
"Well, turning into a wolf would be pretty cool, though. I wouldn't mind it, but a girl?"  
  
"Oh, is there something wrong with us girls?" Nabiki enquired, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Ah... not with you, at least... or girls in general, I mean," Ranma stated, trying to quickly backpedal that foot from his mouth.  
  
Nabiki smirked, "How sweet of you. See? You're redeemable after all!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Nabiki giggled, "And cute too." With that, she grabbed Ranma in a tentative hug, "Ranma, I'll make you a deal, I'll put up with your curse, as long as you can put up with me."  
  
Ranma froze at the sudden embrace, before deciding to return it for Nabiki's sake, "Well, I think I can handle that." For several moments, they remained in the hug, before Ranma spoke up, "Nabiki, I think we need to get back to class now. Nabiki?"  
  
Puzzled by the lack of response, Ranma pulled Nabiki away, and found her staring blankly back at him. Ranma blinked, before stepping back from the girl.  
  
And watching her collapse right on her face.  
  
Ranma stood there for several moments, before kicking her lightly a couple of times. Finding Nabiki not stirring, he looked at her angel wings, and noticed they were shifted a bit higher.  
  
Ranma stood quietly, before taking a sliding step away, and then another, and then another, before he just outright bolted from the site.  
  
The End

* * *

"That.... that..."  
  
"Oh my..."  
  
"You... that...."  
  
"WHAT IN SATAN'S FIERY HOLE IS WRONG WITH YOU?"  
  
"Ranma, language please... Oh my..."  
  
"You do realize, I shall use everything in my power to make you suffer for this one, right?"  
  
"Shampoo think money girl deserve it."  
  
"No... I think WFROSE-Honey went too far on this one."  
  
"No I didn't. It's only too far when I can't laugh at it!"  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"Oh my..."  
  
"..." 


End file.
